Formed
at Ripon for home defence duties in Yorkshire on 15 September 1916, it was
equipped with a variety of BE2s and BE12s, and these remained until re-equipment
with Bristol F2Bs in 1918. The squadron disbanded at Tadcaster on 13 June
1919. When it reformed at Finningley on 12 April 1937, it was in the bomber role, having been formed from 'B' Flight of
No 7 Squadron and for the next two years was equipped with Vickers Wellesleys.
In April 1939 it received Hampdens and the following September moved to Upper
Heyford. However, in June it had become a Group Pool squadron, training
crews for other bomber units. This role continued until 22 April 1940 when
it was merged with No 7 Squadron to form No 16 Operational Training Unit.

The squadron began to reform on 30 April at West Raynham but this was suspended
three weeks later. On 1 May 1941, the squadron reformed at Linton-on-Ouse
as a Halifax unit in No 4 Group and began operations in June. A detachment
sent to Palestine in July 1942 together with one from No 454 Squadron formed the
basis of No 462 Squadron in August. No 76 spent the rest of the war operating as
part of Bomber Command's Main Force, moving to Middleton St George in June 1941,
back to Linton in July 1942 and finally to Holme-on-Spalding Moor in June 1943.

Together with the rest of No 4 Group, it was transferred to Transport Command on
8 May 1945 and at the same time re-equipped with Dakotas, which it took to Broadwell
in August. In September it moved to India, where it operated until 1
September 1946 when it was disbanded by being re-numbered No 62 Squadron.
From 1 February 1949 to 8 December 1953 it was linked to No 7 Squadron.

The
following day the squadron reformed in its own right at Wittering in the light
bomber role, equipped with Canberras. Some of these were used to collect
air samples during the nuclear trials (Operation 'Grapple') in Australia and the
Pacific in 1956 and 1957. The squadron finally disbanded at Upwood on
31 December 1960. However, on 1 May 2007 the squadron was reformed as No
76 (Reserve) Squadron from the Tucano Air Navigation Squadron at Linton-on-Ouse,
but due to the run-down of the RAF fleet of two seat fast jets, the need for
Weapons Systems Operators diminished and in 2011 the squadron disbanded again.

Squadron Codes used: -

NM

Oct 1938 - Apr 1939

MP

May 1941 - Sep 1946

8 Wellesley Mk I aircraft of No 76 Sqn taken at
RAF Finningley in April 1937 on reformation of the squadron in light
bomber role. Photograph taken by Vickers-Supermarine photographer on the
formation day.

Photo courtesy - Norman Hood

Heyfords of No 7 Squadron in front of the
hangers at RAF Finningley in 1936, which is still under construction at the
time.

Formed
at Edinburgh on 1 October 1916 as a home defence unit, it was equipped with BE2s
and BE12s. Having operated a number of detached flight around Southern
Scotland the squadron was operating a single unit at Turnhouse by April 1917,
where it remained until disbanding on 13 June 1919.

When
it reformed at Finningley on
14 June 1937, it was in the bomber role, having been formed from 'B' Flight of
No 102 Squadron. Initially flying Audaxes, it received Wellesleys in
November 1937 and a year later it received Whitleys, by which time it was at
Driffield and part of No 4 Group. Its early raids were simple leaflet
dropping missions, but the squadron built up its experience of night navigation
which it put to good use when it began bombing raids in March 1940. These
continued until throughout 1940 and 1941 and into 1942 but in May it was
transferred to Coastal Command operating from Chivenor in the anti-submarine
role.

When it returned to Bomber Command in October it converted
to Halifaxes at Elvington operating from their until May 1944, when it moved to
Full Sutton, from where it operated for the rest of the war. Together with
the rest of No 4 Group, it was transferred to Transport Command on 8 May 1945
and in July re-equipped with Dakotas, which it took to Broadwell in August.
In October it moved to India but on 1 November was disbanded by being
re-numbered No 31 Squadron.

A month later the squadron was
reformed at Broadwell, when No 271 Squadron was re-numbered. It was again
flying Dakotas, which it used throughout the Berlin Airlift but with the end of
this operation, the squadron disbanded at Waterbeach on 1 June 1949. The
squadron's final incarnation, so far, began on 1 September 1958 when it reformed
in the Thor equipped Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile role at Feltwell,
which finally ended on 10 July 1963.

For a more detailed squadron history and information on the
Squadron Association, click below

No 78 Squadron

Another
home defence unit , No 78 was formed on 1 November at Harrietsham, to cover the
South coast area. Initially equipped with a variety of BE2 and BE12
aircraft, these were replaced by Sopwith 1½
Strutters in October 1917, by which time the squadron had moved to Sutton's Farm
in Essex. Camels began to arrive in April 1918 and by July was fully
equipped with this type. In November some Snipes were taken on strength
but left in September 1919, after which the squadron disbanded on 31 December.

When
it reformed at Boscombe Down on 1 November 1938, it was in the bomber role, having been formed from 'B' Flight
of No 10 Squadron. The following February it moved north to Dishforth,
where it received Whitleys in in July. However, on the outbreak of war,
the squadron was designated a reserve unit, to give further training to crews
coming from the Group Pool squadrons, moving to Linton-on-Ouse on 15 October
1939. On 15 July 1940, the squadron returned to Dishforth and now began
operations as a normal night bomber squadron and these were continued to the end
of the war.

In April 1941 the squadron moved to Middleton
St George, being housed at its satellite of Croft from 20 October to 10 June
1942 and then in September 1942 it returned to Linton. The formation of No
6 (RCAF) Group and the allocation of Linton to the new group, resulted in No 78
moving into East Yorkshire, when it established itself at Breighton in June
1943, where it remained for the rest of the war. Various marks of Whitley
were used until March 1942, when four-engined Halifax IIs arrived, these being
replaced by Mk IIIs in January 1944 and Mk VIs in April 1945.

Together with the rest of No 4 Group, it was transferred to Transport Command on
8 May 1945 and in July re-equipped with Dakotas, which it took to the Middle
East in September. Unlike similar units it became established in the
post-war RAF and in April 1950, its Dakotas were replaced by Valettas, which it
continued to operate until disbanding on 30 September 1954 at Fayid.

The squadron reformed again on 24 April 1956, equipped with Pioneer CC Mk 2s to
provide support to the ground forces operating in the Aden Protectorate.
In October 1958 Twin Pioneers began to replace the single engined Pioneers and
by August 1959, this process was complete. In June 1965 the squadron
transferred its Twin Pioneers to No 21 Squadron and it re-equipped as a Support
Helicopter unit with Wessex HC Mk 2s. With the rundown of British Forces
in Aden the squadron was transferred to Sharjah in October 1967, where it
disbanded on 1 December 1971.

On 1 May 1986, No's 1310 and 1564
Flights at Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands were amalgamated and
redesignated No 78 Squadron, operating Sea Kings for Search
and Rescue purposes and Chinooks HC Mk 2s for heavy support to British forces on
the islands. In December 2007 the squadron disbanded in the Falklands,
with the unit reverting to its previous identities and reformed at the same time
at Benson as the second RAF unit to operate the Merlin HC Mk 3A. Following
the 2012 Strategic Defence Review it was decided that all Merlins would be
transferred to the Royal Navy and the Squadron disbanded on 30 September 2014,
with their aircraft being transferred to No 846 NAS.

Standards

Battle
Honours*

Award
of Standard
originally announced on 17 Jul 1962, effective from 1 Apr 1962 but presented:-

Formed at Gosport on 1 August 1917 as a fighter unit, it moved to France in
December equipped with Dolphins and operated until the end of the war carrying
out fighter patrols and ground attack sorties. It remained on the
continent, moving into Germany itself, as part of the Army of Occupation until
15 July 1919, when it disbanded at Bickendorf.

The squadron
reformed, once again as a fighter unit on 22 March 1937, when 'B' Flight of No
32 Squadron was raised to squadron status. Initially equipped with
Gauntlets, these were replaced by Hurricanes in November 1938. On the
outbreak of war the squadron was retained in Britain as part of the home
defences but in May 1940 was sent to France to reinforce the RAF there.
Returning to the UK after ten days, the squadron took part in the Battle of
Britain before moving to Pembrey in Wales in September 1940.

The
squadron remained in this area until December 1941 when it began preparations
for service in the Far East. Leaving in March 1942, it arrived in India in
June and until December it flew defensive patrols over the sub-continent.
From January 1943 it began offensive operations over Burma, which lasted until
July. It was then rested and re-equipped until December when it resumed
these operations until May 1944. It was now withdraw from operations and
began re-equipment with Thunderbolt IIs, with which it resumed operations in
September 1944, remaining in action until the end of the war. The squadron
disbanded at Meiktila on 30 December 1945.

From 11 February 1949
to 14 November 1951 the squadron number was revived by being linked to No 234
Squadron. However, the squadron reformed in its own right the following
day at Gutersloh in the fighter-reconnaissance role equipped with Meteor FR Mk
9s. These were replaced by Swift FR Mk 5s from June to August 1956 and had
just started to replace these with Hunter FR Mk 10s when the squadron was
disbanded by being renumbered No 4 Squadron on 1 January 1961.

On
2 January 1967 the squadron number was revived when it was allocated to one of
the squadrons of No 229 OCU at Chivenor. It was now responsible for the
training of fighter-reconnaissance pilots on the Hunter FR Mk 10. This
role ceased on 2 September 1974, but on the same day the squadron number was
transferred to a squadron of the Tactical Weapons Unit at Brawdy. On 31
July 1978, the TWU was redesignated No 1 TWU, still with No 79 as a component
unit, but when No 1 TWU was disbanded, so was No 79 Squadron, this taking place
on 31August 1992.

Formed
at Montrose on 1 August 1917 as a fighter unit equipped with Camels. It
moved to the Western Front in January 1918 conducting fighter patrols, but after
the German offensive of March 1918, it began ground attack operations, which it
continued up until the end of war. Retained in France after the Armistice,
it replaced its Camels with Snipes in December and in May 1919 it was
transferred to Egypt, where on 1 February 1920, it was disbanded by being
renumbered No 56 Squadron.

The squadron reformed, once again as a
fighter unit on 8 March 1937 at Kenley, initially equipped with Gauntlets, these
were replaced by Gladiators in May. In April 1938 the squadron was once
again sent out to Egypt as an air defence unit. Following the Italian
declaration of war , the squadron moved to the Libyan border but in November was
one of the units sent to assist the Greeks following the Italian invasion of
that country. Re-equipment with Hurricanes began in February 1941 but when
British forces were compelled to evacuate the country, the squadron was still
equipped with Gladiators as well.

On its return from Greece the
squadron was sent to Syria, from where it operated detachments in Palestine and
Cyprus before moving totally to Cyprus in July 1941 and then back to Syria in
August. The squadron finally joined the fighting in the Western Desert in
October 1941 and following the breakout at El Alamein it was tasked with covering the
lines of communication, remaining in North Africa until January 1944. A
move to Italy was short-lived as in April the squadron was sent back to Britain
in preparation for Operation 'Overlord'.

Back in the UK, it
re-equipped with Spitfire IXs and began fighter sweeps, escort duties and armed
reconnaissance missions. The Spitfires were replaced by Tempest Vs in
August 1944 and these were soon being used to combat the V-1 flying bomb attacks
against the South of England. Once the V-1 launching sites had been
over-run by te advancing armies, the squadron was able to move onto the
continent and continue it previous duties in September until the end of war.

Retained as part of the occupation forces, it continued to operate Tempests
until January 1948, when these were replaced by Spitfire F Mk 24s, which it then
took to Honk Kong in July 1949. At this time a Communist revolution was
taking place in nearby Chain, and No 80's task was to increase the air defences
of colony. The Spitfires were replaced by Hornets in December 1951
and the squadron continued to serve in the colony until disbanding on 1 May
1955. The squadron reformed, when No 80 Squadron was renumbered, just over a month later on
1 August 1955
as a photo-reconnaissance unit in RAF Germany at Laarbruch. Equipped with
Canberra PR Mk 7s, it moved to Bruggen in June 1957 and remained there until
disbanding on 28 September 1969.